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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (July 18, 2018)
20 Wednesday, July 18, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Your Story MATTERS Audry Van Houweling, PMHNP Columnist Facing up to childhood trauma It is not easy being a kid these days. Even in the best of circumstances, grow- ing up in today’s world certainly comes with chal- lenges. Suicide rates have risen among teens — and sharply. According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide for teens is up 28 percent since 2000. Suicide among girls age 15-19 has reached a 40-year high and has increased 30 percent for boys age 15-19 since 2000. Suicide is now the third leading cause of death in young people age 10-24. The digital age has made social comparisons, criti- cism, cyberbullying, and peer pressure daily compan- ions for many of our youth. Furthermore, the bombard- ment of news, images, and information can create a state of unease, hypervigi- lance, and even sleep depri- vation. The immediacy of information also means that one child’s suffering is much more quickly absorbed by others who may then also be affected, creating its own contagion. Simply going to school can be a daunting proposi- tion for some children. Be it the prospect of being bul- lied, feeling socially iso- lated, academic challenges, a perceived lack of support, demands at home, or wor- ries about acts of violence, school has become a battle- ground for too many of our youth. School personnel are often tasked with find- ing solutions to complex situations rooted often in the family, cultural, and society from which the child is a part of. In 1994-1995 Kaiser Permanente conducted a study comprised of 17,337 youth and assessed their exposure to adverse child- hood experiences (ACEs) and prevalence of negative health outcomes. The expe- riences included exposure to abuse (sexual, emotional, physical), neglect, substance abuse, domestic violence, parental divorce/separation, household mental illness, and/or incarceration of a household member. Nearly two-thirds of the partici- pants reported exposure to at least once ACE while nearly one-fifth reported expo- sure to three or more ACEs. The more ACEs a child was exposed to the more likely they were to have negative health outcomes throughout their lifetime. Adverse child- hood experiences have been associated with a higher incidence to substance abuse, depression, heart dis- ease, liver disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary dis- ease, sexually transmitted diseases, suicide, unintended pregnancy, and more. Children and teens affected by trauma may display a number of symp- toms including altered sleep, appetite changes, distract- ibility, a change in academic performance, social with- drawal, anger, tearfulness, panic, body aches and pains, substance abuse, and self- harm among others. When discussing solu- tions and how to reverse or disrupt the effects of trauma among children, it is very important to address trauma with the parental fig- ures as well. Trauma is all too often intergenerational and thus, parents may have their own adverse child- hood experiences they have not effectively processed or confronted. Trauma for one family member often means trauma for multiple family members. It is also important to recognize that there are real neuro-developmental changes when children are exposed to trauma that may alter behavior, impulsivity, and proclivity to risky or dangerous situations. This reinforces the need to tran- sition from a punitive to a trauma-informed approach when addressing concerns. Perhaps most power- ful, let’s stand up for our youth and be allies. It is important to not be dismis- sive and honor our youth’s experiences. We need to lis- ten and not be afraid to talk about the “touchy” subjects. And ultimately we need to ask ourselves how we may either be contributing to the problem or the solution. Dog days... PHOTO BY JESS DRAPER Furry Friends Foundation was on hand Saturday offering canine quilt show attendees respite from the heat with doggie splash pools. They also offered up tickets to win this dog-lover’s dream quilt highlighting our national parks. Tickets are still available at www.furryfriendsfoundation.org. Drawing will be held September 3. ARTISTS! Are you teaching a class? Get that information into the community via the Nugget’s Classes & Training classifi ed ad category! 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